How to Make a Tulle Skirt...

YAY!! Today's post is a how to!

I have to give credit to my friend, Kelly H., for this one. She brought the idea to me and we both agreed that it was super cute and super easy! (I apologize if this is somewhere online already.) So we arranged a playdate/craftdate. The girls played while we sewed. Our girls love these skirts, and it's a great way to recycle some of those shorts that still fit in the waist but are too short. Here's what we did:

Materials Needed:
Shorts (Kelly used a jean skirt and it worked great!)
2" Ribbon (Length will depend on the circumference of your skirt)
Approx. 1 yd Tulle (we used 2 colors to add some flare- get more than 1 yd if you're making a larger skirt)
Scissors
Pins
Thread
Measuring Tape
Safety Pin
Sewing Machine

STEP 1:
Decide where you want the tulle to start. I put the shorts on my daughter, held up some tulle and then put a safety pin where I thought it might look good. Later you can measure all around from that one point to make sure you get it all even.

STEP 2: Iron the ribbon in half, so that it makes a nice cranny for the tulle:

STEP 3:
Fold the tulle in halves lengthwise until you get the desired thickness. We folded about 3 times. Pin it at the top so it won't slip when you sew. (There are no pins in my pic- sorry!) Use a basting stitch to cause tulle to ruffle. I set my stitch length on 5.0. Do not backstitch. **BE SURE TO LEAVE LOTS OF THREAD AT BOTH ENDS!!**

STEP 4: Pull threads to cause tulle to ruffle. Run your fingers up and down the top so that the ruffle evens out:

Should look something like this:

STEP 5:
Tuck the top edge of the ruffled tulle into the ribbon you ironed earlier. Pin in place and stitch a seam at the lower edge. **BE SURE TO READJUST YOUR STITCH SETTING TO A NORMAL STITCH!!** (I always forget that part!)

STEP 6:
Pin the tulle addition onto the shorts. Measure from the safety pin to the leg hem to find the right length, then use that measurement all around the shorts to make sure you're pinning it on evenly. Start at a seam (I used the middle back seam- you can use a side or the back). At this point, I made my daughter try it on again (being careful of the pins) just to make sure it was where I wanted it. Once pinned, sew it onto the shorts. I took my time on this part to make sure I didn't accidentally sew the shorts together (Note: And I still sewed them together a bit, haha!)

That's it! You're all done! Afterward, I trimmed the tulle because it looked a little long. It was super easy and our girls loved being "twins" at church a few days later. I used the leftover ribbon to make a bow. Kelly made a bow she can pin onto the skirt. The ideas are endless!

Enjoy!!